May 6th 2024.
Sunita Williams, a talented Indian-American astronaut, is gearing up for her third journey into space on Tuesday. She will be the pilot aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which is set to embark on its first crewed test flight to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral in Florida. This mission is a highly anticipated and long-awaited achievement for the struggling Boeing program.
The scheduled launch time is 22:34 local time on Monday, and Williams expressed her excitement and readiness for the journey. "We are all here because we are all ready. Our friends and family have heard about it and we've talked about it and they are happy and proud that we are part of the process to fix it all," she shared with BBC.
However, the mission has faced several delays over the years due to setbacks in the spacecraft's development. But if all goes well, Boeing will become the second private company, after Elon Musk's SpaceX, to provide crew transport to and from the ISS. This is a significant milestone for NASA, as it has been a long-awaited dream to have both companies operating simultaneously.
Mark Nappi, the Vice President and Starliner Program Manager at Boeing, acknowledged the challenges of developing a human space vehicle during a news briefing. "Design and development is hard - particularly with a human space vehicle. There were surprises along the way that we had to overcome, but the team remained strong and I am proud of how they have handled every issue that came our way," he said.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also expressed his excitement for the upcoming Starliner mission, calling it "history in the making." He added, "We're now in the golden era of space exploration."
The Commercial Crew Program, a partnership between NASA and private industry contractors, has led to the development of both SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's Starliner. The goal was to have both companies operating simultaneously, with each spacecraft serving as a backup to the other in case of technical issues.
Williams, who received her commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy in 1987, was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998. She is a veteran of two space missions, Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33, serving as a flight engineer and commander respectively.
During her first spaceflight, Williams set a world record for females with four spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes. This record was later broken by astronaut Peggy Whitson. On her second mission, Expedition 32/33, Williams spent four months conducting research and exploration aboard the orbiting laboratory and performed three spacewalks. She currently holds the record for the total cumulative spacewalk time by a female astronaut, with 322 days spent in space.
Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, to Indian-American neuroanatomist Deepak Pandya and Slovene-American Ursuline Bonnie Pandya. She holds a physical science degree from the US Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Florida Institute of Technology.
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